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On November 19th, Audi will unveil a new concept at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show - the first to be penned under new design director Marc Lichte.

Lichte, 45, was appointed in February 2014, and for him the core competences of the brand - sportiness, lightweight design and quattro drive - all have a high level of importance.

The concept car at the Los Angeles Auto Show will reportedly mark a new beginning in Audi design - both exterior and interior.

Photo: Audi

As of September 2014, Toyota has sold 7 million hybrid vehicles worldwide since the first Prius was released on the market. What's even more impressive is that the last million hybrids were sold in just nine months.

Including hybrid vehicles launched this year, Toyota will introduce a total of 15 new hybrids globally through 2015.

The automaker today sells 27 different hybrid models and one plug-in hybrid model in more than 90 countries and regions. In the U.S., Toyota and Lexus offer 12 hybrid models and one plug-in model, which account for 70% of industry hybrid sales.

Mother Nature couldn't be happier. To date Toyota hybrid vehicles have resulted in approximately 49 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions - and saved 4.75 billion gallons of gasoline - than would have been emitted or used by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance.

Photo: Toyota

Porsche has plans to offer a diesel option with the Macan crossover in the U.S. by the end of 2015.

"We are now busy with the development and the engineering," Andre Oosthuizen, vice president of marketing for Porsche Cars North America Inc., told Automotive News. "I can confirm that V6 diesel offering with about 245 hp."

The diesel variant would reportedly be priced below $60,000 USD, positioning itself between the entry-level Macan S and the high-performance Macan Turbo.

Photo: Porsche

The new diesel is expected to be a version of the 3.0L turbodiesel V6 offered on the Macan in Europe and other markets. We may get a preview at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, with sales to begin in late 2015 or early 2016.

As for the 4-cylinder Macan currently sold in China and the U.K., Oosthuizen said it's "not under consideration for the foreseeable future" for the U.S.

Source : autonews.com

From press release

Following last year's victory, SJM Theodore Racing by Prema returns to Macau with an expanded team of three cars, driven by Frenchman Esteban Ocon, Antonio Fuoco of Italy and Canada's Nicholas Latifi.

Speaking about the challenge, all three drivers expressed pride and happiness at being part of the SJM Theodore Racing by Prema team in the 61st Macau Grand Prix.

Ocon, a Lotus F1 Junior Team driver and recently crowned champion of the FIA European Formula 3 Championship, will drive car No. 1.

Fuoco, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy who ranks fifth overall in European F3, will be one of his teammates

Nicholas Latifi, who is tenth in the European F3 standings, added, “The Macau Grand Prix is a track that I really enjoy and I'm confident that, considering the team's success, the weekend will be very special.”

Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. ("SJM") is the title sponsor and official partner of SJM Theodore Racing by Prema. The trio of SJM Theodore Racing by Prema entries for the 2014 event will utilize Mercedes-Benz powered Dallara Formula 3 cars.

Antonio Fuoco's Formula 3 car livery for the 2014 Macau GP (Illustration: Thedore Racing)

Over 1.7 million people have now watched Nissan's new commercial featuring the 2015 Versa Note on YouTube since it went online on September 30th.

Titled “Revenge,” the ad shows a man throwing away a small action figure after accidentally sitting on it. When he goes to the garage and steps inside his Versa Note, the entire collection is surrounding him. He manages to escape using Nissan's Around View Monitor.

Mercedes AMG Formula 1 team has clinched the 2014 Formula 1 constructors' crown in Russia last weekend. However, team boss Toto Wolff asked his drivers not to change their approach.

Wolff told new championship leader Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to race each other over the final three Grands Prix of the season.

Following their infamous collision at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, both drivers were severely reminded that team objectives and silverware were the ultimate priority.

Their one-two finish in Sochi last weekend earned Mercedes AMG its first ever constructors' title and all but guaranteed Hamilton or Rosberg the drivers' crown.

Podium at Sochi. (Photo: WRi2)

“I don't think we are going to change something in our approach because we want them to race each other respectfully,” Wolff said in an interview posted on Formula1.com.

“Of course 92 points means [Ricciardo] would need to win all three remaining races and Lewis [Hamilton] not score eight points. Even though I am a pessimist, that would be a ‘black swan, black swan, black swan' event.

“We saw in Russia [that] Nico missed the braking [point] on the dirty line and Lewis was very cold blooded, and it was good.

“So it will not change the approach. We don't want it to end in some kind of circumstance with events on the track...”

After winning in Sochi - his fourth consecutive victory and ninth of the season - Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points in the drivers' championship, the biggest advantage the former World Champion has enjoyed all season.

The two Mercedes drivers in action. (Photo: WRi2)

Jules Bianchi's terrible and unexpected crash at Suzuka during the Japanese Grand Prix sadly reminded us that the helmets are not just cool items, but primarily a vital piece of safety equipment.

The full-face crash helmet is the only thing that saves the head of the driver in case of an accident, and protects it from flying debris, forceful decelerations, and impacts.

Toro Rosso Jean-Eric Vergne's crash helmet. The reinforcement panel is seen above the sheild. (Photo: WRi2)

Auto123.com talked about helmet safety with Martine Kindt Cohen, C.E.O. of Bell Racing Europe.

The sporting regulations state that F1 drivers must wear a Snell SA2015 crash helmet homologated to the FIA Standard 8860 - Advanced
Helmet Test Specification (Technical List N°33).

A manufacturer that wants to have its crash helmets certified must send a certain number of them to an approved test lab.

“The tests are performed by an approved laboratory. Then, a report is sent to the FIA which in return publish a list of the homologated crash helmets,” Mrs. Cohen explained.

The testing procedures are detailed in a document belonging to the FIA.

Tests conducted on the helmets include linear impact tests, abrasion tests, destructive tests, fireproof tests, and dynamic impacts tests. For all these tests, the conditions are clearly listed (such as forces to be applied, direction, temperature, speed of impact, height, etc.)

To guarantee a certain level of safety, the F1 helmet must be lower than a specified weight.

Test of resistance to fire. (Photo: Snell Memorial Foundation)

“The complete helmet must not be below 1,450g, including the radio system, drinking tube, spoilers, shield, and paint job. Good painters will not use more than 30g of paint to do a helmet,” she added.

Since Felipe Massa's accident in Hungary 2009, all F1 helmets must be fitted with a reinforcement panel.

FIA's technical requirements for the reinforcement panel. (Image: FIA)

“The reinforcement panel is a solution, but not a standard yet. The FIA included it in the sporting regulations, but it is not yet standard,” she said.

“This panel is made of Zylon and cost some 350 euros to make. The FIA gives the helmet manufacturer some freedom for the shape of the panel and its bounding method. Securing the panel in place is the most difficult procedure. We at Bell Sport Europe have found a very efficient way to put it in place. Our rivals have a few problems with that, especially in the rain. We would prefer that this panel be integrated into the shell of the helmet. That would be much better,” Mrs. Cohen explained.

Toronto's IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe started off this week in a new role as a test driver for Road & Track magazine.

The three-time Verizon IndyCar Series race winner was tasked by magazine editors to test drive a Porsche 962, one of the most legendary sports cars on the planet, alongside Porsche's new 918, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for an upcoming issue.

Using the 2.4-mile road course as a proving ground to pit the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning factory 962 against the 887-horsepower hybrid 918, Hinchcliffe was asked to extract the maximum performance from both cars to compare and contrast the modern technology against one of the last great sports car prototypes.

The works Porsche 962 (Photo: IndyCar)

“I'm a big fan of the history of the sport, so getting the call to drive one of the greatest sports cars in history -- that just so happens to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same year I was born -- was beyond cool,” Hinchcliffe said.

“It's one of the cars I've seen at museums and always wondered what it was like to drive. To be able to not only drive it, but to get to thrash it ... at Indianapolis, no less, and then compare it wheel-to-wheel, with the fastest production car to lap the Nürburgring ... it makes for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a pretty awesome day. You know you've arrived when you get invited to test cars like these, and it's humbling, trust me.”

Hinchcliffe said he was surprised by the performance of the Porsches.

“It's old race car versus new road car, but with the advances in road car technology it got me excited and interested to see how close they'd be,” he said.

“They both have strengths and weaknesses, but it wasn't a clear case where one was way ahead or behind the other one. I think readers will enjoy the data and feedback we gathered on how they performed, and I can tell you I wasn't taking it easy on either of them.

“They both make a lot of power, they deliver that power in very different ways, and where one has all of the modern tricks and technology poured into it, the other reminded you why it was unbeatable during its era. They're very different creatures, but don't let the age or where they were designed to perform fool you. We did a lot of filming, too, so I can't wait for people to see them in action and to read about the test.”

In a recent interview with CNN, Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen said he wanted to finish his career at Ferrari.

The Finn, who's had a difficult season behind the wheel of the underpowered Ferrari F14 T so far this season, declared he plans to finish his career with the prestigious Italian car constructor.

However, Raikkonen did not mention when his career would end.

Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, currently with Red Bull Racing, is expected to move to Ferrari next year, taking the place of Fernando Alonso who is tipped to move to McLaren.

"I have a contract for next year and probably for one more year," Raikkonen told CNN.

"But I'm not a young guy anymore.

"I want to do something more with my life than just Formula 1. I will finish my career with Ferrari.

"I never lost the passion. I will stop the day when I feel I don't enjoy it anymore."

Raikkonen said he would continue to race after his Formula 1 career.

"I really enjoy the whole NASCAR thing," Raikkonen declared. "It's just completely different and fun. It was a good experience.

"Hopefully I can do more (races) some day. I've said I'd like to do some more rallies in the future."

From wrc.com

Former world rally champion Petter Solberg will return to the wheel of a World Rally Car when he tackles Rallye du Condroz-Huy in Belgium, November 1-2.

The Norwegian, recently crowned inaugural FIA World Rallycross champion, will drive a Citroen C4 WRC prepared by Marc VDS Racing Team. He will be partnered by Phil Mills, with whom he won the 2003 FIA World Rally Championship for Subaru.

Petter Solberg (Photo: wrc.com)

Solberg's rivals include Citroen's Kris Meeke, who will pilot a DS3 R5, and Citroen Racing director Yves Matton, who will also drive a C4 WRC. Matton will be co-driven by Daniel Elena, the man who guided Sebastien Loeb to nine world titles.

“I have great memories of the C4 in the World Rally Championship. But it's important not to forget that I haven't competed in a rally for two years,” said Solberg, whose last World Rally Car outing was at Rally de España in 2012 in a Ford Fiesta RS.

“It will take some time to find my bearings again. That will also be the case with Phil. Our last event together was in 2010 and we're going to have to relearn how to write pace notes!” he added.

The asphalt rally comprises 22 stages covering almost 243km in two days.

Our colleagues at endurance-info.com posted some news, information and rumours about the new Nissan GT-R LM NISMO sports car that will compete in endurance racing next season.

In 2015, Nissan will join three other major car manufacturers - Audi, Toyota and Porsche - in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The facts. The shakedown of the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO sports car will take place at Nissan's private test facility in Arizona; a huge 3,050 acres ground with a 9.2km super oval.

The first test will be held at Sebring International Raceway in Florida at the beginning of December.

“It is no longer a secret that the engine of the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO will be located at the front of the car, and not at the rear like all other LMP1 cars”, wrote the web site. Now, that's revolutionary.

“According to our sources, the Nissan engine has been running on the dyno for quite a along time now. Apparently, it is a twin turbo V6 petrol engine,” they added.

Now, the rumours. Not a single word from Nissan in regards to its drivers. However, names are mentioned in conversations, such as Olivier Pla, Nick Heidfeld, Stephane Sarrazin, Jann Mardenborough, Lucas Ordonez, Ronnie Quintarelli, Masataka Yanagida and Tsugio Matsuda.

On a final note, Nissan could decide to enter three cars in every round of the 2015 WEC.

Photo: Nissan

Honda is being accused by a watchdog group of underreporting injuries and fatalities from defective airbags, hampering a federal government system designed to spot patterns in automotive flaws.

Audi will introduce a new design direction with a concept car debuting next month at the Los Angeles auto show.

Audi will introduce a new design direction with a concept car debuting next month at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

General Motors was hit with its biggest lawsuit so far over serial recalls, brought on behalf of drivers of 27 million vehicles seeking more than $10 billion in compensation for fallen car prices.

GM has emerged as a heavyweight ally of the wireless carriers battling against stricter Internet traffic rules, with a new letter that linked the issue to wirelessly connected cars.

Legislation that would prevent Tesla Motors from directly selling its EV lineup in Michigan has cleared the state's legislative chambers and is awaiting the signature of Republican Governor Rick Snyder. The deadline to sign the bill is October 21.

General Motors sold 2,449,595 vehicles around the world in the third quarter of 2014, up 2% year on year but the company's best third quarter since 1980. In the first nine months, sales were also up 2% to 7,371,743 units.

TrueCar, bidding to increase transparency of vehicle transaction costs, said its 9,000 dealer franchisees agreed to reveal all vehicle accessory and nongovernmental document fees when guaranteeing prices to TrueCar shoppers

In its effort to bring autonomous-driving technology to the streets, Audi is testing unmanned vehicles at speeds as fast as 305kph (190 mph).